1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of imaging devices and data collection devices, particularly image and signal generated data collection devices, as well as to data transfer devices in general. More particularly, the invention is directed to protective enclosures for housing such devices during use, particularly for use in clean or sterile environments.
2. Description of Background and Other Information
Data collection devices, particularly bar code scanners and portable data terminals, are being used in an increasing variety of environments. In many of these environments, such as laboratories, hospitals, food processing areas, and so on, cleanliness and contamination of such devices can be of concern.
For example, in the medical environment, such technology can be used for identification of equipment, patients, and medications, etc., so that, for instance, inventories can be monitored, medications can be timely and appropriately distributed and administered, and so forth. Such technology requires the use of various types of imaging and data collection devices, particularly image signal generating data collection/transfer devices.
Among such devices, whether in the medical field or in other fields, are bar code scanners, optical character recognition (OCR) readers, portable data terminals, personal data assistants, transaction terminals, video cameras, digital cameras, cellular telephones, and medical viewing instruments. Such devices, if used in health-related environments, or other such environments in which transmission of infections or diseases, whether air-borne or via contact, is risked by either patients or facility personnel, must remain clean and sterile.
One means of ensuring cleanliness, or a sterilized environment, can be to wipe equipment with compositions for cleaning and/or disinfecting such devices. Such treatment—employed, for example, in hospitals—can be effective in preventing the spread of infections or disease among patients. However, solvents that are normally used in disinfectants have a tendency to attack the plastic from which various equipment is made, such as the housings of such equipment, as well as obscuring keypad symbols and display windows.
A possible solution to such a problem might be the use of all metal device components, including metal housings. Yet further, the device components—whether of plastic, or metal, or even if both plastic and metal components are employed—could be provided with a suitable protective plating or coating, to serve as a barrier preventing cleaning/disinfecting solutions from contacting the underlying surfaces.
For example, component parts might be provided with a copper plating; in such instance, a second plating, such as of nickel or chrome, could be applied over the copper layer—to prevent oxidation of the copper, and to improve the device cosmetics. Such plating or platings could be employed, for instance, with plastic, and particularly thermoplastic (e.g., acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS)) components.
As to coatings, one option could be to apply a nylon or epoxy powder coating to device components. Coatings of these types could be applied electrostatically, and could be added as additional protection over copper-plated components.
Another suitable coating could be polyurethane, which could be applied by spraying, or other means. A commercially available polyurethane coating that could be employed is Clearcoat, from Bayer MaterialScience LLC, Pittsburgh, Pa.
However, even if the components and graphics are successfully shielded from attack, a problem with known cleaning/sterilizing regimes is that data collection devices are not constructed so that they can be easily or thoroughly cleaned and sterilized. Because of such equipment including a variety of surfaces and contours, as well as movable control mechanisms, wiping the equipment with disinfectants can result in an inefficient and/or incomplete cleaning or sterilizing. Further, data collection devices have many surfaces with crevices, creases, and other areas for which cleaning and sterilization can be time-consuming and difficult to be done easily and thoroughly. The spacing of keypad keys, and the movability of keys and triggers, present particular problems in this regard.
This concern might be addressed, at least to an extent, by means for rendering the device components biocidal, against bacteria and other microorganisms. One such means is treatment of the components with appropriate antimicrobial compositions.
Silver aluminosilicate is an antimicrobial inorganic compound, and could be useful as an active ingredient in coatings for data collection device components. This compound is commercially available as Agion® antimicrobial, from Agion Technologies, Inc., Wakefield, Mass. Powder coatings incorporating Agion antimicrobial are commercially available as ALESTA® AM powder coatings, from DuPont Powder Coatings, USA.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,151,139 discloses poly(vinyl-N-pyridinium halide) polymers for biocidal surface coatings.
U.S. Publication No. 2004/0234604, and U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,019,096, 5,133,090, and 5,616,338, disclose further specified antimicrobial agents for coating, incorporating into, or otherwise treating articles.
In hospital environments it is known to maintain medical and surgical implements clean and sterile by means of disposable covers intended for single use procedures. An example is a barrier sleeve manufactured by Tadco Inc., Farmington, N.M., a manufacturer of specialty medical products, including a barrier sleeve for covering a laryngoscope, which is inserted into a patient's throat to examine the larynx or to keep the patient's airway open. The sleeve, made of a biocompatible polyurethane, is used as a single-use safety and hygienic measure as an alternative to sterilizing the blade portion of the instrument between uses.
Concerns typified by the Tadco sleeve relate to the transmission of disease or infection caused by medical devices that come into direct contact with body surfaces. This contrasts with the concerns of the present invention, which relate to protection of a patient or medical personnel, in health-related environments, or persons in other environments requiring sanitary or sterile conditions, from exposure to instruments such as wireless data transmission/collection devices, for which a simple cover would interfere with their operation.
Equipment such as a bar code scanner, for example, include imaging modules for which light is required to be transmitted through an optic window, which light must not be blocked or even distorted by means of a cover. In addition to the sensitivity of an optic window, such equipment typically include a trigger, as well as various buttons and controls for which a cover would tend to provide interference.
Therefore, for equipment such as imaging devices and data collection devices, a need exists for enjoying the advantages that could be gained by providing a feasible enclosure providing single-use capability to ensure safety and hygiene in environments, while allowing the full range of functional capability of such equipment.